Fire extinguisher discharge device



Feb. 28, 1956 F. B. ALLEN FIRE EXTINGUISHER DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Feb.19, 1953 INVENTOR.

FRANK BALLEN f ATTORNEX United States PatentO FIRE EXTINGUISHERDISCHARGE DEVICE Frank B. Allen, Towaco, N. J., assignor to C-O-Two FireEquipment Company, Newark, N. J.

Application February 19, 1953, Serial No. 337,724

3 Claims. (Cl. 169-11) The present invention relates to fireextinguishing, and particularly to an improved large capacity dischargedevice particularly suitable for use with low temperature carbon dioxideextinguishing fluid.

Carbon dioxide for fire extinguishing purposes is stored in refrigeratedcontainers at greater than atmospheric pressure for economy of storage.The pressurei's maintained adequate to provide a high rate of dischargethrough a piping systemto a hazard to be protected against fire.However, if the carbon dioxide at its storage pressure is dischargedwithout a suitable velocity reducing device, air may be entrained toreduce the effectiveness of the carbon dioxide, in addition, the highvelocity of the carbon dioxide may be such as to cause the scattering ofburning combustible material.

Heretofore, various types of discharge devices have been provided toattain the desired reduced velocity of the discharge, among which is theconstruction disclosed in S. E. Allen et al. Patent No. 1,993,696,issued March 5, 1935. The present invention is an improvement over thatdescribed in the Allen et al. patent in that a somewhat more simplifiedconstruction is disclosed. Prior constructions have provided a dischargedevice including a closed end tubular member extending into the shield,the side wall of the tubular member being provided with a plurality oforifices. Such a construction is shown in Ensminger application SerialNo. 226,047, filed May 12, 1951, now Patent No. 2,655,219, issuedOctober 13, 1953. The present construction is particularly suitable forlarge capacity units in which lightness of weight is very important.Further, the new construction may be fabricated by modern productionmachinery and thus may be sold at a comparatively lower price.

An object of the invention is to provide a discharge device which issimple and economical in manufacture, efficient in operation and durablein use.

In accordance with the invention this is accomplished by providing adischarge device in which the body thereof may be formed of a bushing,and the discharge member and shield may be pressed or drawn.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and from the accompanying drawing which shows anembodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of a discharge device in accordance with theinvention, a portion thereof being broken away to show the internalconstruction.

Figure 2 is an end view looking from left to right of the dischargedevice shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the body or bushing member ofthe device.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a retaining member.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the nozzle or discharge memberof the device.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in Figure 1 a discharge device1 for carbon dioxide fire extinguishing ice fluid including a directingtube means 2, a housing or bushing member 3, a discharge or nozzlemember 4, and a retaining ring nut member 5.

The directing tube 2 may be made of any suitable material such as metal,laminated plastic, or other light-weight material strong enough towithstand ordinary usage and may be stamped or pressed to the desiredshape. Preferably, the directing tube means 2 is formed with straightside walls 6, although other configurations such as outwardly taperingside walls might be used. The open end of the directing tube means maybe provided with a flange, if desired, for attaching the directing tubemeans about an opening in the wall. Closed end 7 of the directing tubemeans is apertured to fit over the end of the bushing member 3.

.The bushing member 3 may be made of metal or laminated plastic and isformed with a passage 9 extending therethrongh. Adjacent end 10 of thebushing 3, the passage 9 is made of reduced cross-section to provide ashoulder 11. At the end 10 of the bushing member 3 is an axiallyextending extension 12 for holding the directing tube in position. Theother end 14 of the bushing member 3 is internally threaded as indicatedat 15 to engage with a piping for a conventional fire extingushingsystem. The directing tube means 2 is secured in position on the end 10of the bushing member 3 with the end 7 of the directing tube abuttingagainst the end edge of the bushing member, the aperture and thedirecting tube 2 being of a diameter so that a close fit is had over theaxially extending extension 12. The outer end of the extension 12 isthen turned outwardly over the edge of the wall of the aperture in thedirecting tube to secure the directing tube firmly in position on thebushing member 3.

The nozzle member 4 is preferably made of metal although any othersuitable light-weight material may be used. The nozzle member 4 may bestamped or pressed of sheet metal and is formed into a generally tubularshape with side wall 16 and a closed wall 17. The open end of the nozzlemember 4 is turned outwardly to provide a flange 19. A plurality ofequally spaced apertures 20 are made in the nozzle mem'ber adjacent theclosed end 17 thereof. The diameter of the nozzle member 4 is such thata snug fit is provided with the inner wall of the bushing member 3 andthe shoulder 11 of the bushing 3, the flange 19 abutting against theshoulder so as to hold the tubular member in position.

The retaining ring nut member 5 is provided with a threaded outersurface 21 to engage in the threaded surface 15 of the bushing member 3.The inner diameter of the retaining nut member 5 is made the same as theinner diameter of the nozzle member 4 in order that there is norestriction in the passage for the discharged fluid from the pipingsystem to the apertures 20. Notches 22 are made in the edge of theretaining ring nut member for engagement by a tool for tightening thenut in position.

In assembling the discharge device 1, the directing tube means 2 ispressed in position on the bushing member 3, and the axially extendingextension 12 turned over to secure the directing tube in position. Thenozzle member 4 is then inserted through the threaded portion 14 so thatthe flange 19 abuts against the shoulder 11, and the retaining ring nutmember 5 is secured in position.

While the invention is described and illustrated with reference tospecific embodiments thereof, it Will be understood that otherembodiments may be resorted to without departing from the invention.Therefore, the form of the invention set out above should be consideredas illustrative and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A discharge device for carbon dioxide fire extinguishing fluidcomprising directing tube means with a closed apertured end, a bushingmember having a passage therethrough with a threaded portion, shouldermeans in the passage, a thin-walled nozzle member formed into a tubularshape with a closed end and having a plurality of apertures in its sidewall adjacent its closed end, flange means about the open end of thenozzle member abutting against the shoulder, and a retaining memberthreadedly engaged with the wall of the bushing member holding thenozzle in position.

2. A discharge device for carbon dioxide fire extinguishing fluidcomprising directing tube means with a closed apertured end, a bushingmember having a passage therethrough, a reduced portion of the passagedefining shoulder means, the passage wall threaded at the outer endthereof, an axially extending flange for the bushing member turned overthe Wall of the aperture in the directing tube holding the tube inposition, a thin-walled onepiece nozzle member formed into a tubularshape with a closed end and having a plurality of apertures in its sidewall adjacent its closed end, the open end of the nozzle member turnedoutwardly to form a flange abutting against the shoulder, and aretaining ring member thre'adedly engaged with the threaded bushingpassage wall holding the nozzle member in position.

3. A discharge device for carbon dioxide fire extin- 25 guishing fluidcomprising directing tube means with a closed apertured end, a straightbushing member with a passage therethrough, a reduced portion of thepassage adjacent one end thereof defining a shoulder, the other end ofthe passage threaded, an axially extending flange at the one end of thebushing member turned over the wall of the aperture in the directingtube securing the wall against the end of the bushing member holding thedirec-t ing tube in position, a thin-wall one-piece nozzle member formedinto tubular shape with a closed end and having a plurality of aperturesin its side Wall adjacent its closed end, the open end of the nozzlemember turned outwardly to form a flange abutting against the shoulder,the tubular member projecting into the directing means a sufficientdistance providing an unrestricted discharge from the nozzle aperturesinto the directing means, the nozzle wall thickness being insufi'icientto appreciably decrease the size of the passage in the bushing member,and a thin-walled retaining ring member threadedly engaged with thethreaded bushing passage wall, the retaining ring having a passagetherethroug-h of approximately the same 20 diameter as the nozzle memberso as to provide an unrestricted passage to the nozzle aperture-s.

Frese et al Mar. 20, 1951 Allen June 10, 1952

